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Thursday, August 02, 2007

Wings/JMFJ Offseason Stuff

Mike Cammalleri's arbitration hearing is today. Actually it's probably over by now. According to Brochu Is Hockey (which I have no idea about the credibility of), the Wings have called LA about his availability and there is definitely the possibility of a sign-and-trade (to some team, not necessarily Detroit).

One thing is certain though: As of last week, the Kings and Cammalleri were not close.

I still don't see how Detroit could fit him under the cap long-term, as long as they want to re-sign Zetterberg (which they obviously do). But the thought of Cammi in a Wings jersey still makes me very happy and I hope there's some way to get it done. Datsyuk, Cammalleri, Lidstrom, and Rafalski all would have high salaries though, and that doesn't leave a lot of room for Zetterberg to get his $5 million raise and still field a competitive team. That'd be like $33 million tied up in five players. If they've got information that Lidstrom is going to call it quits in the near future (and they signed Rafalski with the idea that he'll be our #1 dman once Nick is gone) then it would be more doable.

Another bit of news from the Cammalleri family, his cousin Anthony Agozzino, who the Wolverines were rumored to be interested in, has signed with an OHL team (HT: Western College Hockey).

The Anaheim Ducks have decided to not match that offer sheet for Dustin Penner and I think that's a wise move. Penner is a good player and all, but that's a lot of money and a lot of picks to give up for someone who only had 45 points last year. I mean, Tomas Holmstrom put up better numbers (more goals, more points, less games) and I wouldn't be in a hurry to pay him over $4 million. I bet the rest of the GMs in the NHL really hate Kevin Lowe now after the stunt with Vanek followed up by him signing Penner. And you better believe that Brian Burke is going to try and get Getzlaf and Perry locked up before they're RFAs next year. Anaheim can't be THAT bummed, though. They're getting a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounder for a guy they signed as an undrafted free agent--and who has really only had one big year. Side note: I wonder if there are any other JuCo transfers that have made the NHL. You don't usually see guys going the Junior College route before playing college hockey.

This interview is a couple of weeks old, but I just now saw it. Justin Spiro, a good friend of JMFJ's and a regular posted on the LetsGoKings board, interviewed Jack and posted it on the site. There's some good stuff in there. They still haven't revealed what his jersey number will be for next year. He was wearing 33, but he seems to be thinking of changing it. The smart money is on 78.

The best segment of the interview:

JS: You have gained a type of cult-status with Kings Fans. Many of them want to know if Jack Johnson has a “JMFJ” shirt of his own.

JJ: I cannot say that I do. I have given a few of them out as gifts, though. I do not think I would feel right wearing one. It would be like walking around with a nametag.Somebody gave my younger brother Kenny a “JMFJ” shirt (Ed Note: It came from The Blog That Yost Built store!). My Dad and I had to stress to him that the abbreviation stood for, “Jack ‘My Friend’ Johnson”. He wore it to school at the end of last year and we had to prepare a ready explanation for the teachers. The whole “JMFJ” thing has really taken off. I think it is hilarious, and in a weird way flattering.

Additionally, Spiro has started a blog: The Converted King. He's been a Wings fan in the past--and will continue to be--but he's known Jack since they were in middle school, and it makes sense to follow--and root for--the team that your good friend is on. The site is mainly for his thoughts as a new Kings fan, but I expect there will be lots of good JMFJ stuff as well.

Lastly, if you've got 20 minutes or so to kill, the Canadian Business Journal has a database of every player in the NHL that you can sort by $/point, $/goal, $/penalty minute, and $/time on ice. It's easy to see why Anaheim did so well this past season. They had 5 of the top 43 players in Dollars Per Point. And that's the key to winning in the salary cap era. Get production out of guys while they're on their rookie contracts. Derian Hatcher was the worst in $/point this year, making a whopping $388,889 per point.

In terms of bang for the buck, Dion Phaneuf was the biggest bargain. The Flames paid him "just" $232 per minute that he was on the ice. Patrick Elias made $5,372/minute. It's amazing that despite the amount of time he spends on the ice, Nicklas Lidstrom was still 432/449 on this list. Basically that means that he makes a lot of money, folks.

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